MMA News

The UFC returns to Denver for the first time in more than three years today when UFC on FOX 23 takes place at Pepsi Center.

A matchup of female bantamweight contenders headlines the FOX-televised main card, which follows prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass. Valentina Shevchenko (13-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and Julianna Pena (8-2 MMA, 4-0 UFC) continue their pursuit of the 135-pound title and champion Amanda Nunes when they face off in a five-round main event.

Four solid main-card matchups close the bill this weekend. For more on the numbers behind the octagon’s return to the city that hosted UFC 1 in 1993, check below for 65 pre-fight facts about UFC on FOX 23.

* * * *

Main event

Valentina Shevchenko

Shevchenko competes in her second consecutive FOX-televised main event. She defeated Holly Holm in her first headliner at UFC on FOX 20 in July.

Alex Caceres (12-9 MMA, 7-7 UFC) is 2-1 since he returned to the UFC featherweight division in January 2015.

Alex Caceres

Caceres is 2-4 in his past six UFC appearances.

Caceres is one of three fighters in UFC/WEC bantamweight history to land 100 or more significant strikes in two different fights. Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw also accomplished the feat.

Caceres’ submission of Sergio Pettis at the 4:39 mark of Round 3 at UFC on FOX 10 marked the second-latest in a three-round UFC bantamweight fight. Only Bryan Caraway’s tapout of Johnny Bedford at the 4:44 mark of Round 3 at UFC 159 occurred later in a 135-pound fight.

Jason Knight (16-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC), 24, is the youngest of the 24 fighter scheduled to compete at the event.

Preliminary card

Marquardt is 3-3 since he returned to the UFC middleweight division in June 2014.

Marquardt’s 13 victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied with A. Silva and Yushin Okami for second most in divisional history behind Bisping (16).

Marquardt has earned nine of his 13 career victories by stoppage.

Marquardt’s nine stoppage victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Leben for second most in divisional history behind A. Silva (11).

Marquardt’s 11 knockdowns landed in UFC middleweight competition are second most in divisional history behind A. Silva (13).

Marquardt’s four knockdowns landed against Dean Lister at UFC Fight Night 8 stand as the most ever in a UFC middleweight fight. His four knockdown performance is also tied for second largest in UFC history, behind only Forrest Petz’s five knockdowns of Sammy Morgan at UFC Fight Night 6.

Aljamain Sterling (12-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) absorbs just 0.9 significant strikes per minute in UFC competition, the best rate in company history.

Li Jingliang (11-4 MMA, 3-2 UFC) has alternated wins and losses over his five-fight UFC career. He was victorious in his most recent bout at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale in July.

Marcos Rogerio de Lima’s (14-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) average fight time of 2:06 in UFC competition is the shortest among active fighters in the company.

De Lima has earned 13 of his 14 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished 12 of those wins in Round 1.

De Lima has earned all three of his UFC victories by first-round stoppage in a total fight time of six minutes and 54 seconds.

De Lima recorded the second-fastest knockout by a debuting UFC heavyweight with his 20-second finish of Richardson Moreira at The Ultimate Fighter Brazil 3 Finale. Todd Duffee holds the record with his seven-second knockout of Tim Hague at UFC 102.